Finding Family
by Kaci Colton
Summary: Roy sent Ed on a simple head-counting mission. Now he and his brother come back with a little girl. Nameless and orphaned, can this unorthodox family band together to help this child find what she's missing?
1. Chapter 1

Warnings: Roy and Ed fluff at various points in the fic, as well as a few spoilers from the anime.  
Summary: It was just supposed to be a routine recon in the east. But when Ed returns from Ishbal with a little girl, can the unorthodox family come together for the child, and even find those she belongs to?  
Rated: PG-13 for language and some suggestive scenes.

_"You've got plenty of people working under you who can do this mission, Mustang, why me?"__  
__"Because you're the most qualified."__  
__"The most qualified to take down some names? I have work to do here, or have your forgotten?"__  
__"Fullmetal, I expect you to be on the train heading east by tomorrow morning, regardless of how qualified you think you are. Your research can wait for a few days. As you said, you're only taking down names."__  
_  
Ed could just punch the living daylights out of the pompous bastard at the time. He knew they weren't lovers in the office, but it didn't change the fact that the man would explode if he spared a smile here and there. They were behind closed doors, it's not like anyone would see if Roy showed some form of affection. Instead it seemed now that he provoked Ed even more in public! Ed knew it wouldn't be a story book romance; neither of them needed saving, and neither would ever accept it if they did. If anything, it was probably the most common type of romance, save for the fact that they were both male. Still, he did expect a certain degree of softness. He kicked the seat in front of him, causing Al to look up over his book. Silently, he placed a finger over his lips.  
Ed settled back into the compartment seat and huffed loudly. He had the sneaking suspicion that Roy knew this would happen. Roy knew everything before it would happen. He loved the man, but that didn't change the fact that he was intrinsically a manipulative bastard. He couldn't count the number of times he'd been curled around Roy's finger, even during intimate moments. Nothing was sacred to the man, why then should this be? But then, what was the purpose of this? Surely Roy didn't want a family, so why send Ed to find a six year old girl? It didn't connect, but he clung stubbornly to the fact that Roy planned it out. He kicked the chair again and Al looked up sharply.  
"She is sleeping," he hissed.  
Ed stuck his tongue out to receive a sharp bat on the head with the book.  
"Stay still." Al looked fondly on the dark girl who had curled up with her head on Ed's lap. Tiny fingers curled and uncurled on top of his knee as she suckled on her pointer finger. Al reached over and brushed away strands of stray hair, causing her to mew a little and stretch out. Ed had to smile to himself. He was annoyed with the situation, but that didn't change the face that this child "may as well have fallen off of a charm bracelet", as Al put it when they caught her after stealing their food. Ed smiled at the memory.

_"How many soldier are left to account for," Al asked absently as he popped another of Ed's fries into his mouth.__  
__"About three platoons... I'll deal with that tomorrow, I'm beat." Ed propped his legs up on the table and leaned back on the hind legs of his chair. Al looked at him with disapproval and pointed downwards. Ed huffed and flopped back down into all four legs of his chair and let his legs flop down again. He leaned his elbow on the table and grabbed his burger, taking a huge bite of it.__  
__"You're such a prude, Alphonse," he said through a mouthful of food. Al ignored him and flipped the page of a book.__  
__"I'd like to pick up a cookbook while we're here. I think eastern food is delightful," he said, taking another bite of his dish.__  
__"I'm fine with good, old-fashioned Amestrian food." As though that would make a difference. Al knew what he wanted, and he was going to make Ed suffer through it. Al was a very good cook, but Ed was a simple guy, as portrayed by his plate at the moment. Burger and fries. No ketchup, no pickles, no cheese; just meat, and bread, and potatoes._ _It was Al who liked the frills and fancy things. His plate held a chicken breast stuffed with some kind of eastern cheese, herbs Ed didn't care to pronounce, and sauces with so many different flavors going on Ed's teeth actually began to hurt. He winced at the thought of having to eat it when Al made it back at home.__  
__He was wrenched from his thoughts when a small, dark hand came up and patted around the table before landing on Ed's fries. It curled around several of them and then disappeared again under the table. He looked up at Al who mouthed that it had been going on for a few minutes now. Ed furrowed his brow and looked under the table.__  
__The first thing he was met with was big red eyes. They weren't scared, or angry, just surprised, like the owner hadn't expected to get caught. Ed took in the rest of the child below him with lessening rage. She couldn't have been more than six. She squatted under the table with about five fried clenched in one tiny fist like a life line, and the other balancing on the ground. She was wearing just rags, it looked like she'd just found bits of cloth on the trash and picked them out. She was dark skinned, almost chocolate, and her hair was just as ruby-colored as her eyes. Her arms and legs were plump with baby fat, but that was it. She was far too skinny. A fry hung from her lips and it looked like she'd been in mid-chew as Ed caught her. She flopped back into her rump and took the half eaten fry from her lips. Her eyes welled as she handed the fried back. "Sorry," she said softly, her voice breaking, "I was hungry." She'd no more than finished than burst into tears. Even sobbing, her voice was just as pure as silver bells.__  
__Al was the first to react. He jumped up and scooped the little girl up. For a moment she fought against him, and then he sat down and cut her a piece of his food and gave it to her. At first she just looked from his to the food. Al nudged her lower lip with the small bite on the end of the fork and she smiled, greedily eating. Ed watched, still on shock at the impoverish child as she giggled and cooed on Al's lap. He fed her about half of the chicken before she refused anymore and reached for his water. He helped her to drink, but she still spilled all over the front of her quasi-shirt. She looked up at Al is fear before he smiled at her and dabbed off most of the moisture.___

_"We need to get her proper clothes." Al's voice made Ed's nerves jump. He had been so caught up with the fact that they had found the child that he hadn't thought about that. It should have been the next thing they did after they fed her. Ed nodded ad looked around. In Central there was a whole strip dedicated to child's apparel and playthings. Here there didn't seem to be anything like that. He turned in a full circle before he looked at Alphonse. The little girl was curled up on his arms, curling her fingers curiously into his hair.__  
__"Where are we going," she asked softly, her eyes still glued on the side of Al's head. Al looked at Ed for an answer but he shook his head.__  
__"Well, ask for directions," Al said, brushing the tiny hands away from his eyes.__  
__"Why do you have different eyes than me," the little girl asked._  
_"Because I' different than you, and so is everyone else."__  
__The girl's eyes widened and she gasped. "Really? Everyone? That's like... a hundred different people!"__  
__Ed and Al both laughed gently at her shock. Ed wanted to point out that it was more like a billion different people, but the number may have been too big for the girl to wrap her head around. He stayed quiet and said, "Yeah, that's about right." The little girl's eyes widened further._

"_Are there even that many people in the whole world?"_

"_Yeah, it's a pretty big world," Ed laughed. She threw her arms in the air to form a circle and asked, "Is it this big?"_

"_It's a little bigger," Al answered with a grin._

"_That's huge," she breathed. They both laughed._

_After a time of answering questions Ed was thoroughly annoyed and Al was trying to keep them both from fighting._

"_Well, why can't I know?!"_

"_It really is something you should know when you're older."_

"_Why," the child demanded. She crossed her arms over her chest and puffed out as Ed curled up in anger. Al had shifted the girl to his other arm to keep them out of arm's reach. Finally he sighed and said, "babies come from mommies."_

"_Where do the mommies come from?"_

"_Other mommies."_

"_Everyone comes from mommies?"_

_Al nodded and the girl fell silent at that answer. Al knew the look in her eyes. She was absorbing the information she'd just received and turning it over and over in her mind. Ed got that look every time he came across something new. Al knew she'd be quiet for at least half an hour, if she continued to act like his brother, as she had thus far._

_The first time she asked where babies came from Ed bristled and looked to Al for help. He stayed silent, since the question as not directed at him. He stammered something about men and women, and then said that she didn't need to know. Al rolled his eyes, knowing that saying he didn't know would have been better than denying her the knowledge. They both had expected her to move on to the next question, but instead she pursued, asking why he should know and she couldn't. She presented with the conflict of her age, she asked how old Ed was when he found out. He conceded that he was about her age, and she demanded to know. They then took to fighting and screaming. Al actually had to intercept a weak fist thrown at Ed's face. He reprimanded the child before she went on her tirade with Ed._

_They finally got directed to the baby store, if only because while the two were distracted with their fighting Al was able to ask directions. The old woman looked brightly on the child and after stroking her hair – whether known or not to the girl – she gave him directions. Al hadn't expected a big store like back home, but he'd expected a little more than this._

_He arrived at a tiny shop that looked like it'd be crowded with all three of them in there. He found drab children's dresses, pants, and shirts, but no shoes or underwear. He sighed a chose a long shirt for the night, a dress for today, and pants and a shirt for tomorrow on the train. He felt bad, however, because, even though it wasn't much, the girl acted like she'd just been handed the finest of silk and lace to wear. She giggled the whole time Al was dressing her in an adjacent bathroom. He pranced out like she was just the best thing ever, and even then, both brothers agreed that she was._

_That night they ordered room service as they got the child all settled in._

"_What should we call her," Ed finally asked as the little girl bounced happily on the bed. Al looked up from his book to consider the little girl._

"_What's your name," he asked. The little girl stopped and fell deep into thought. "I can't remember," she finally conceded. There was no anger, or sadness, it was just a fact. She didn't know her name. The brothers exchanged glances of concern. She was a non entity. She didn't, technically, exist. It finally hit home for the two of them. She was a child, no more than six years of age, who had probably grown up alone, and on the streets. She had no documentation, no education, nothing. It was a wonder she'd made it this long. She giggled quietly in the background as she bounced on the bed behind them._

_A knock on the door stopped the girls jumping. Within seconds she'd found a hiding spot beyond the knowledge of Ed and Al. While Al looked around for the girl, Ed accepted the food. He two had noticed the similarities between himself and the girl. He coaxed the girl out by leaving the covering off of her food. He smiled to her as she fumbled with utensils before just digging in with her hands. She slept between the two of them that night, after eating her food and what was left of Al's food._

_The whistle of the train reduced the child to absolute tears as she coward in Al's arms. Al had to calm her down, promising her that the train wasn't going to hurt her before they could enter, otherwise if he took a step towards it, she'd go into a fit of screams and cries for help. They both got looks of distress, and Ed had to convince one lady that they weren't kidnapping her. In the end she squeezed her eyes shut tight and buried her head in Al's shoulder._

Ed was pulled from his thoughts as the little girl roused from her sleep. He raised his eye brows as a rumble reached his ears. The little girl stood next to him and held her stomach declaring, "I am hungry." Al laughed from behind his book as he peered at the couple. Ed placed a hand on the girl's stomach and lower back to keep her steady, an action he'd seen Hughes perform with Elysia a thousand times.

"Well, we'll be home in about half an hour, and when we get there the first thing we'll do is get you some food," Al promised. Ed winced visibly. He still wasn't comfortable calling Central their home. He'd gone so long not having one that it was still odd for him. But he recovered with a smile and nodded. The girl was content with this sat back down on the seat. During the following 30 minutes was spent in comfortable silence. It was broken only by the child getting up and moving between the two brothers and the window, and Al turning a page in the book.

They landed on time and, not one to let her promise go unrequited, she pulled them over to a small stand off to the left of the platform. Al looked around disgustedly. The child seemed thrilled with whatever food she could get, she'd settle for whatever she could find. He politely declined the man's offers for samples, and picked the child up. It broke his heart that the little girl would settle for that. Just looking at that food made him feel ill. Looking at Ed he knew the same thoughts were passing through his mind as well.

"But you promised me," she whispered, like Al had just struck her. Al wanted to cry, but settled with kissing the side of her head, trying to convey the affections she'd already won through that contact. The little girl's face brightened at the show of affection, and let herself be carried to she-didn't-know-where.

Finally she was set on a bar stool and given a kiddie cup of something. She took a sip and coughed a little, staring at the cup with a mixture of shock and offence. "That felt funny." She declared her observation as simple fact, devoid of any emotion. She smacked her lips a little and conceded, "I like it." Ed and Al both laughed, patting her head on turn.

"What is this," she asked when the glass was empty and being refilled.

"It's called soda," Ed answered as he sipped his own glass.

"How come you have more than me?"

"I'm bigger, and can drink more. You're smaller, and can't hold all of this."

"How come you don't have a lid too?"

"Remember when you first met us, and you spilled water all down your front?" The little girl blushed at the memory and nodded.

"This way it won't happen again." Al tipped the glass forward and the little girl marveled at how the liquid was held back. She experimented further and found that by tipping it all the way upside down, not only did all the liquid fall out, but people laughed and she got a cookie. She'd be utilizing this later.

She gorged herself on two plates of chicken tenders, being somewhat crestfallen that it wasn't the sweet and savory dish she'd first eaten with the two older boys. She ate happily, however, shattering on about whatever was on her mind as she doodled on the paper with the crayons provided by the man who ran the small stand. By the end she yawned and reached up for Al to take up into his arms. Since meeting the brother's she'd not set her feet on the ground to walk for longer than small spurts. She didn't mind.

Havoc leaned on the hood of the car, bored as per usual. It was quiet at the office; there was no civil unrest, no revolutions to speak of. Monotony had taken its toll on everyone, causing them to do crazy things. Riza wore her hair down today, as a matter of fact. He remembered how eyes were riveted to her suddenly softer face. They were all reminded that she was, in fact, a woman. At once they all offered niceties, but they were all quickly reminded, also, that with was still Lieutenant Hawkeye and they settled right back down.

Of course his mood brightened as the two came back with their luggage and a child curled up in Al's arms.

"Put that thing out," Ed demanded, snatching the cigarette from Havoc's lips and stamping it into the pavement. He took a decidedly defensive tone, not for himself, but for the little girl. Havoc stammered a little, but sighed. Well, things were officially shaken up, which was what everyone wanted, right?


	2. Chapter 2

Warnings: Roy and Ed fluff at various points in the fic, as well as a few spoilers from the anime.  
Summary: It was just supposed to be a routine recon in the east. But when Ed returns from Ishbal with a little girl, can the unorthodox family come together for the child, and even find those she belongs to?  
Rated: PG-13 for language and some suggestive scenes.

---

Walking in all eyes was on the little girl held in Al's arms. Her red eyes were bright and took in every little aspect of what went on around her. She wiggled herself up until she sat on Al's shoulder and gripped his hair in her hands before she finally spoke.

"Where are we? Who are they? Where is he going? Can we go too? Why are we sitting? Come back!" The girl began to panic as the Ed walked away. She kicked in Al's arms and wriggled out, following Ed and latching onto his leg. She propped her head up on his knee and sniffled.

"You're keeping me, right," she whispered in the same broken little voice and Ed had no choice but to swing her up into his arms.

"I have to go talk to someone. You wait out here with Al and I'll be out as soon as possible."

"If the boss doesn't get murdered, that is." Ed glared at Havoc as the little girl flew into another panic.

"Come over here, Ed can take care of himself. He'd give Mustang a run for his money. In fact, I remember once when they went at it as Ed's reinstatement."

"Who's that? Is he nice? Will he hurt Ed? What's he going to do? Why is Ed talking to him? Why can't I come? What are you going to talk about? Is it may fault? No, come back!" It was too late. As she was asking her questions, the child was handed over to Al and Ed disappeared behind the door. She wriggled and whined again until she was let go. It was comical, watching her run, really. She didn't really have the hang of it, just yet, and she was still a bit clumsy. She came to a stop right outside the door Ed was behind and waited, just staring at the grain of the wood.

"You're late, Fullmetal," he drawled. Ed, once more, felt anger licking at his insides. He clenched his fists and dared Roy to look up from his paperwork. He didn't even like paperwork. He was doing this to annoy Ed. It was a blatant act of revenge from their last night together, when Ed had been so enthralled in his arrays he denied Roy at every turn.

"Something came up," Ed ground out angrily. Roy peered up and quirked an eyebrow.

"There's no need to get hostile," Roy said, sitting back in his chair, "and what was all that commotion outside?"

"What came up," Ed sighed. He listened for the little girl's chatting at the thought of her. It had soon become a comfort to hear her talking. So he naturally became edgy when he heard nothing. He also knew kids. When they were noisy you knew what was going on. When they fell quiet they were planning something. He shifted anxiously to his other foot and glanced towards the door a little. Roy followed his eyes.

"Did Al bring home another animal," he asked, setting his pen down.

"Not… exactly…" Ed itched at the back of his head, shifting again. Roy stood up this time.

"Edward… what came up," he asked softly, worry edging his words.

Ed glanced at the door again, searching for words. Roy followed his eyes again and his lips thinned into a tight line. Roy also noticed the silence that had ensued outside his door. It was never quiet out there. Someone was goofing off. Someone was joking. Someone was chatting. Always. Now it was complete silence. Roy looked at Edward, judging his posture. He was worried, but not for himself.

"What did you bring into my office," Roy hissed, rushing past him.

The child jumped a little as the door flew open. She hadn't been expecting it to happen so fast. She tilted her head as blue filled her vision suddenly and looked up. She furrowed her brow and crossed her arms. Where was Ed? If this man did anything to him then he'd have to deal with her. She opened her mouth to say something but she was scooped up and supported by the metal arm that had quickly become her favorite part of the man. She visibly settled into his arms and sighed deeply. She peered up at the man from behind the veil of her hair and whispered into Ed's ear, "Is this the man you needed to talk to."

Ed turned his head a little and nodded. Roy's voice made her nerves jump.

"Who is this," his voice was riddled with fear and loathing for something, though she knew it was not for her personally. She looked up and reached out for him. She knew that when she was scared she needed hugs. Maybe if he got hugged he'd stop being afraid. It broke her heart when he took a step back. She curled back up into Ed's shoulder and whispered, "He doesn't like me…" this time there was sadness in her voice as she stated this fact. Ed placed a hand on her head to comfort her and glared at Roy.

"We don't know her name and neither does she. She's an orphan we picked up in the east," he spat, defending the child from Roy's horror by turning, placing his body between theirs. She peered out with one eye at Roy and suckled on her thumb. She wasn't looking in any particular way, just observing. Watching every breath Roy took, every movement, every twitch of his hand. Then her eyes lighted on his hands.

Her brow furrowed and she pointed at Roy's hips.

"What is that," she asked with unbridled excitement. Everyone looked where she was pointing and the room inhaled at the same time.

"T-the pocket watch," Al stammered gently. The child grunted a little and slid down Ed's leg until she hit the floor. No one had time to react before she waddled over and took Roy's hand in hers, memorizing the array on the back of his hand. She held it up for Ed to see and asked again, "What is that?"

"It's an array," Ed answered with a smile, kneeling next to her. The girl's eyes widened with curiosity. There were so many questions to be asked. She looked between the two, words forming at the speed of light.

"Is this the only array there is? What does it do? What does array mean? Why is it there? What does the lizard mean? Lizards are gross. Once I woke up with a lizard on me. I cried. Why is it red? Why is it on his glove? Why is the glove so rough? I think he needs a new one. Can we get him a new one Ed? Maybe he'll like me then."

Ed looked up at her last statement with eyes darkened with defensive anger to a dark gold. Roy glanced at Al who averted his eyes, though Roy caught his eyes darkened with the same feeling. Roy had hurt someone they saw as their own. This little girl had already been adopted by the two boys and they were acting flawlessly as her parents. He looked around and got no support from his officers. They all looked away as his eyes landed on them.

He cleared his throat and said, "No… that's not the only array there is." He knelt next to the child, locking eyes with Ed, who softened visibly at his effort to help the child. The girl nodded with open acceptance of that he said. "There are thousands more, and they all do something different."

"Really," she breathed. Both men nodded.

"Some fix broken things, others fix broken bodies."

"Like dead bodies," she asked. Roy's eyes flicked over to Ed whose face had fallen, and then to Al, who now looked the complete opposite direction.

"No," he said, "Nothing can fix that." The girl nodded, accepting and absorbing this information. She nodded and turned Roy's hand over and over, looking for more arrays, he expected. Finally she spoke again.

"Why do you have this one?"

Roy considered this question. The immediate answer was that he was the Flame Alchemist. He needed it to live up to his name. But that didn't seem like a good enough answer. Why did he have this particular array on his glove? He liked it, yes, but that made him sound odd. He turned the thought around in his mind as tiny fingers traced the array.

"It makes fire, and he's the Flame Alchemist," Ed answered. The little girl's eyes lit up with understanding and Roy braced himself for what was coming next. She knew about alchemy, of course, and the massacre, and everything else.

"Oh yeah! I know about alchemy! It's supposed to be magic," she exclaimed. Ed laughed and ruffled her hair, picking her up into his arms again and planting a kiss on the top of her head.

"No, it's not magic," he said, "You can't get something from nothing. I can't draw an array, activate it, and expect something. I have to put something in."

"Like what," she breathed, totally enthralled with the new discovery.

"Well… If I put in a piece of cloth, cotton, thread, and buttons, I can make a doll.

"Oh, really," she looked around and smiled confirmed what she'd heard.

"Oh, it is magic, I knew it was," she laughed and clapped, wiggling happily in Ed's arms. The tension was gone with her laughter, and chatting resumed, this time centered on the child.

"I guess it's a good thing the Major isn't here," Breda joked, taking the girl as he was handed her.

"Who's that," she asked, taking Feury's glasses as he reached for her. He laughed and took them back, cleaning them off before he took her from Breda.

"He's just someone who's a little… theatrical," Falman laughed as the little girl pulled gently at his hair, curiously inspecting him as she had everyone else.

"This is what came up," Roy asked in a low voice from the corner of the office. Ed looked up at him unapologetically and nodded. Roy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. A child he could deal with easily. He'd go to Maes for a few pointers and then wing the rest. But this was an Ishbalan child. He couldn't look at her without feeling hollow.

"I'm not sorry for what I did," Ed spat. Roy shook his head.

"I didn't expect you to be. You helped someone in need; it's intrinsically a part of who you are. There's no reason to be sorry for it.

"She'll need a name…" Roy said gently. He looked at Ed who looked deep in thought.

"Trisha," he said. The name rolled off his lips with a strong sense of finality. Roy nodded.

"Good name," he said gently. Ed nodded next to him.

"She also needs clothes – proper clothes," he also said. Ed nodded again. He was still in thought, though about what was known only to Ed. They both fell silent.

Trisha was thoroughly enthralled with Riza's hair. She ran her fingers through it again and again, feeling it's softness and giggling. Riza smiled as well and said, "we should introduce her to Elysia."

"Oh, that'll be fun," Roy rolled his eyes, "that's what we all need, Hughes having access to another photogenic child.

"Can you imagine the slide show we'd go through? 'Here's Elysia and her friend at the park, here them in the pool in the back yard, and here they are making a cake with Gracia, aren't they cute?'" Roy smiled despite himself.

"I think it'd be sweet," she mused, becoming the maternal being she was hardwired to be. She tugged the child in next to her breast and brushed the hair from her eyes. Trisha yawned widely and curled up in her arms.

"What's her name," Falman asked softly, allowing the child to sleep.

"Trisha," Roy smiled. Al made eye contact with Ed and they both smiled.

"Good name," Al said softly, gazing with a while new appreciation at the child.

Lunch was always a good time to harass Roy. His office was almost always empty during this hour, and if Maes was lucky he'd catch Roy either on his way out or stuck with paperwork. If he was out then he'd wait for his captive audience to return. The fact of the matter was that he had new pictures of his daughter just begging to be oogled at.

He neared the door to the office and commotion reached his ears. He pressed his ear to the door and heard someone asking for someone named Trisha. He knew that Ed and Al's mother was named Trisha, but this couldn't be her. There was no way this was her… was there? Human alchemy was impossible, but the boys had time and time again made the impossible possible. He opened the door soundlessly to be met with childish giggling.

A dark child kicked her legs in the air as Al held her over his head smiling. Several pairs of eyes moved onto him and he was welcomed in. His giddy mood mellowed into one of concern and affection. This child was Ishbalan there was no doubt about that. The question was how did she get here?

"Who is that," she asked as she was brought back down to Al's chest. She reached out for the man, kicking gently at the air. Maes had no choice but to take her from him and smile as she began to have account of his facial features.

"Why is his face prickly," she asked.

"He's a freak," Roy chuckled form the couch. Maes chuckled back and took her hand in his. His heart melted as tiny fingers wrapped around his.

"You are all so big," she observed. There was a silence and then she resolved with confidence, "someday I will be this big."

"Who's that father," Maes asked bouncing the girl slightly out of habit.

"Ed and Al are," Breda answered with a smile, "she doesn't show favoritism between them."

"Is that so, you don't have a favorite parent?"

Trisha furrowed her brow and shook her head. "I don't have parents," she stated simply, then wiggled out of Maes's arms and onto the floor. Of course she got no more than two steps before she was swept up into the air again. She could definitely get used to this. She giggled and kicked in the air as she was spun gently and then tucked into Ed's arms.

"We should call Winry, have her come down and see Trisha," Al said, standing over the little girl, tickling her tummy. She giggled widely.

Now free of the child's clutches, Maes made his way over to Roy's side.

"Are you alright," Maes asked his friend in a low voice. Roy shrugged, rubbing his forhead.

"With Alphonse, its cats, and with Edward it's orphans. I want to love her like Ed and Al… and even everyone here, but every time I look at her…"

"You get scared," Maes finished as Roy nodded. He shook his head and thought for a moment.

"Maybe this is the redemption you wanted," he offered. Roy looked at him thoughtfully.

"Maybe this is your chance to make up for what you've done. I don't just mean the fact that she's Isbalan. I mean the fact that this is a life that you have the chance to save. Edward is the father already, and since you're involved with him, you're a father too."

"Three fathers… what's she going to do with herself?"

"Three, how are you counting. She'll end up like Elysia. Everyone in this office will be a parent to her." Maes laughed with his friend.

"Don't worry about it. You'll get over your fear soon enough. Then she'll be more than your redemption. She'll be your whole world."

"I'm not sure," Roy sighed, watching as Ed lavished affection upon the little girl, not caring who saw. He locked eyes with Trisha and she gave him a huge grin. He looked away and covered his mouth.

"I can't do this Maes," he ground out heavily, leaving for his office.

The door closing made Ed look up from Trisha. She looked at him with hurt in her eyes that broke his heart. He sighed, trying to answer the unasked questions she shouldn't have to ask. Bringing her home with him was supposed to solve all her problems. She was supposed to have love lavished upon her by everyone she came into contact with. She was supposed to be fed when she was hungry. She was supposed to let go of all her worries and let the older people deal with them.

Growling he handed Trisha other to the nearest pair of hands the kicked the door to Roy's office open. He turned and kicked the door shut with the same foot and planted himself firmly with arms crossed.

"What the hell is your problem?" Roy didn't turn from the window. Ed waited, thickening the air with unadulterated fury. He had only been this angry when the gate had fucked him over and given him the need for automail and the Philosophers Stone.

"Answer me, Roy!" He was met with silence again. The chatting outside turned softer, and he felt more than knew that Trisha was hurt and needed comfort. That only made him even angrier. He closed the distance between the two of them and spun Roy around. He almost softened at the sight Roy presented him with.

Roy's eyes had slowly become darker within a few moments. Line had creased his face as it fell with a repressed sorrow. He almost softened. He almost folded Roy into his arms and put himself between the man he loved and the world that hurt him. Then he remembered what he was upset about.

Ed bore his teeth and ground out, "You selfish prick," Ed didn't care that Roy flinched away, "that little girl has probably lived her whole life alone. She cannot be more than six years old. How dare you try and make this about you. She asked nothing of you but acceptance, or do you not remember that. 'Maybe then he'll like me' she said. And you turned away from her."

"Ed, I tried – "

"For three minutes. Then you gave up. The massacre took place more than a decade ago, and she wasn't even alive when then happened. If anything, she's your second chance. She doesn't have the predisposition that the military is a monster. She doesn't know what you did, and when she asks eventually, you can make it so that she doesn't care, just like I don't."

Roy turned away again and Ed shook with rage. He inhaled a shaky breath and hissed, "Grow a spine, Mustang, because she's coming home with Al and me." He turned and left, fighting back the urge to pummel whatever hurt Trisha into the dust.

Trisha's attention had been fully glued on the door Ed once more disappeared behind. Everyone thought she was upset about what just happened, but she didn't understand why. The only thing that concerned her was that the man that lavished affection upon her like she'd seen parents do so often had disappeared from her field of vision. The only way she could relax was when he was with her again.

The door opened after what seemed like ages and she whined and reached out for him. Her panic increased as she noticed the lines of worry and anger on his face. She wiggled out of Al's arms and ran over to Ed, reaching up to be held. He picked her up, not bothering to swing her around, smile at her, or laugh. She creased her small face up and watched his face intently. The door behind him opened and the dark man walked out. Under her hands, she felt Ed's shoulder's tightened considerably and she put two and two together.

"You hurt him," she observed objectively. She thought for a moment and continued, "I don't like that… I don't like people who hurt Ed and Al… I don't like you." There was no vehemence in her statement, it just was. Her objectivity may have been what hurt everyone the most. There was silence again and Roy reached out for the child. Trisha only pushed his hand away. Ed glared at Roy and hissed, "I'm not particularly fond of him either. You have my report Mustang. I'm taking Trisha and I'm leaving."

Trisha didn't look at Mustang with any particular vehemence or sadness. She just watched him with a wide, childish curiosity. She waved goodbye, because she felt it was needed as Ed walked out of the office.


	3. Chapter 3

Warnings: Roy and Ed fluff at various points in the fic, as well as a few spoilers from the anime.  
Summary: It was just supposed to be a routine recon in the east. But when Ed returns from Ishbal with a little girl, can the unorthodox family come together for the child, and even find those she belongs to?  
Rated: PG-13 for language and some suggestive scenes.

---

All eyes were on him as the couple left. He tried to tear himself from his stupor, but sand clogged his throat, the metallic scent of blood filled his nose. He saw nothing but flames in front of him. If his throat was not so chaffed from the sand that didn't exist. His eyes were glued on the door Ed left behind, but he didn't see the sturdy oak, nor the bland plaster walls surrounding it. He saw ruins, and fire, and death.

"Roy." The voice was almost too soft to hear. He jerked his head to the left ever so slightly and ran a hand over his face, re applying his stoicism. Reality blurred in from the sides of his vision as he sighed, relieving himself of the imaginary sting of sand.

"Get back to work," he gruffed, looking unseeingly to his left. Ed didn't have obligations here after his report was filed. He was free to come and go as he pleased, but Roy had to stay and keep charge. He had to turn around and go back to his paper work. He had to shut the heavy door and pretend that he didn't have to return home to an angry lover and an orphaned little girl, most likely in her current state due to his actions.

Maybe the worst part about this was before this moment whenever Ed had something that upset him he'd rant and rave as Roy listened, and then he'd curl up next to Roy and be protected from whatever ailed him. It had taken so long for Ed to realize that after all he'd been through it was alright to let his guard down and let someone take care of him. Roy had to teach him step by step that he could just close his eyes and sleep, because when he opened his eyes again, Roy would still be there.

This time Roy was the problem. He was what had in sighted his rage. He raked his hands through his hair, only barely noticing as the door opened and shut. He didn't see how Maes's advice would help him now. He sat down opposite Roy and sighed softly, Roy knew he was twisting his wedding ring around his finger.

"Any pearls of wisdom," Roy asked softly.

"After the massacre it makes sense that you would be affected by her like this. But like I said, there was no way she was alive for it." He leaned back in his chair and peered at Roy over his glasses. "It seems to me that these are similar circumstances in which I found you and Ed a few years ago."

Roy chuckled, remembering those stressful months, trying to build shaky trust, and then carefully fortifying it into what they had now. "How is that?"

"You wouldn't get close to Ed because of the consequences. And now you don't want to get close to Trisha for the same reasons. Perhaps they aren't the same consequences, but they're consequences none the same. But you already have my advice on that."

"She'll tear a hole in me, Maes."

"Only for a short time as you get to know her, and that won't even be her fault. After you've earned her affections she'll easily grow to fill that hole. It's the nature of a child."

"She's just a child…" Roy mused.

"Are you afraid of her youth, or her race?"

"I don't know, both, maybe. She's no older than six, we don't know her birthday, there's no way to know if she has a family that we're taking her from, or if their even still alive, until they find her she's living in my house, and Ed will want me to be the father too, and I'll do it because I love him. That means she'll be my child, Maes. She'll look at me for affection, and acceptance. Protecting her will come before everything. What if she turns out like I was; overzealous and idealistic? What if she makes my mistakes? What if she gets hurts when she's older? What if someone breaks her heart and I can't fix it? What if she flunks out of school? What if she ends up back on the streets? What if we get into a fight and she runs away? I can get over my fears of her race, but she's a life that I have to mold. I have to make a person out of her! Why are you laughing, I'm serious."

Maes cuffed his eyes gently and looked at Roy with a smile. "Everyone has those fears when they realize that they're responsible for a life. And you won't be doing it alone. You already have Ed and Al, who can't let her out of their arms for more than seconds at a time. The office set eyes on her and fell in love too. Of course you know I'll help as well."

"But what do I _do_?"

"What every other father on the face of the earth does. You do what you can and then pray that it turns out right."

Trisha watched Ed moving around the room with silent wonder. She sat at the table with her hands folded neatly in her lap. She couldn't understand what Ed was saying, but she heard the vehemence in his voice. She sighed and looked ahead of her, out the window to the back yard.

"Not everyone has to like me, you know. It's alright if people don't." The slam of a cabinet made her gasp and jump. Ed's fist was white around the glass.

"It's not about that. Not everyone likes me, and if you turn out anything like me then you'll be lucky to have the allies you do. What kills me… what really kills me, was that you have nothing… had nothing… and Roy tried to make it all about him. He was torn apart. He had flashbacks. He suffered. He has a home, food, clean clothes, running water to drink and bathe in. You had nothing but rags. He had the nerve to try and steal the spotlight."

Trisha fell silent with a sigh. She turned back to the window. Ed was trying to protect her, and she knew that. But it still bothered her that Ed had reacted that way.

"It's one thing to defend me," she hopped off the chair and moved over to his leg, curling her tiny arms around it. "but to defend something that I don't want is another thing entirely. You're forgetting that since before I can remember I spent my life alone, without attention – "

"That's why you deserve it," Ed growled, slamming things around. Trisha sighed again. "Maybe I don't want it." Ed looked down at her in surprise. Trisha knew he hadn't thought about it like that before. She reached up and his scowl turned into a smile.

"You know what I think," Trisha asked, wrapping her arms around Ed's neck, "I don't think he's afraid of what I am." When Ed scoffed and turned away she took a hold of his face with both of her hands and forced him to make eye contact with her. "He loves you, and I can see that. You love him too, or else you wouldn't be so upset. You wouldn't love someone who hates like that. I don't know what he's afraid of, but it's not me."

Ed seemed to consider what Trisha had said, smiling slightly. She was already proving to be a deeply insightful and perceptive child. He'd given no hints to tell her that he and Roy were involved, and yet she knew. She took his anger with him and broke it down into something completely trivial, making him ashamed of it.

"Leave it to a kid," he muttered, hiking her up on his hip as he continued rummaging around the kitchen for food for the both of them.

Al didn't hear anything upon entering the house and was almost tempted to assume that Ed and Trisha didn't come back. He didn't put it past Ed to take her out, but, then again, it was out of his character to avoid something that upset him. It wasn't until he heard murmurs in the kitchen that he made his way over.

The sight he encountered was only slightly familiar. Ed was hunched over Alchemy books, his brows furrowed in concentration. The difference, however, was that they were all beginner's books, and the rube-haired Trisha was tucked into his chest, listening as Ed muttered the meanings of sigils and lines to her. Trisha traced the arrays with her fingers, trying to memorize them. Al laughed as he noticed that she looked very much like his brother… her father, he gently corrected himself.

His knock on the door frame brought them both gently out of their work. Trisha beamed and wiggled out of Ed grasp to be caught up in Al's.

"Guess what," She proclaimed, grabbing a hand full of his shirt in her fist to keep herself steady.

"What," Al asked, though he knew full well what she had to say to him.

"Ed said he'd teach me alchemy! I already made this." From her pocket she produced a small corn husk doll. It should have been a human figure, but one arm shot out of the forehead while the other didn't exist at all. It had three legs, all different sizes, and the head was a peculiar cube-shape. She tucked it back to her breast and stroked it lovingly.

"It's not that good, but it's my first time, and Ed said it was really good for that." Al nodded his approval and shifted her so he could free up one hand with which the take to doll. It truly was very well crafted. The fibers weren't loose from their bindings, and were expertly braided. She probably just lost focus, he guessed.

"I named her Maia," she mused gently.

"Why Maia?"

Trisha shrugged and took the doll back. Al smiled again and set her down on the floor. Trisha toddled off into the living room, leaving Ed and Al to themselves. From the tensing in Ed's frame he knew what was coming next. Al only sighed and poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot Ed had made. He stirred him cream and sugar and took his seat next to his brother. There was a heavy silence as he chose his words.

"I know I hurt him," Ed whispered as he looked at his knees. Al knew it hurt Ed just as much as it did Roy. He nodded his affirmative and said, "it's good that you do. But I don't expect you figured out why yet." He wasn't acidic, it was just a matter of fact. Ed looked up angrily, but submitted that he did not with a hang of his head.

Al nodded again. He'd heard as much as anyone else when Roy went on his tirade. Silence blanketed the room as Roy voiced his doubts. It softened everyone's earlier thoughts at his cringes from the child.

"You don't back down from challenges. Trisha is a challenge. Every child is. And just like you always do, you dove in head first. You'll take the obstacles as they come. Roy sees the whole picture first. Her race did disturb him, but he can deal with it. But just as any man who finds out he's a father, he has worries, doubt, and concerns. Thing it he had no time to adjust to the idea. And not only that, but taking on a child between the two of you is a huge commitment, second only to marriage. It terrifies him."

Ed only stared at the wall opposite him. Whether or not he heard him was up to Ed now. A faint call from down the hall roused him. Ed smiled at his brother. "She's calling you." Al listened again, and sure enough his name echoed through the halls. He sighed with a grin and stood, excusing himself and taking his coffee with him.

Trisha observed her work with an objective eye. The lines looked straight enough, but she could be wrong. She tucked the pencil behind her ear and picked up her eraser and went at her array for the third time. Again she called one of her fathers' names.

"Al, I need help!"

The creak of her door announced that he had at last arrived. She rolled over onto her back and hopped up, dragging him over to her place on the floor.

"I can't remember what I put here," she pointed to the space between the outer and inner circles. Al knew this array. It was to mend something broken. It would take about as much effort as blinking. He took the pencil form her and wrote in the sigils.

"All you really need are cushions, in the event your focus breaks. That way you don't burn yourself." She glanced over and Trisha already understood. She peered around for something to fix. Her eyes finally rested on the drab clothing he'd bought the other day for her. He was reminded that he'd have to take her and get new clothes soon. She picked up her shirt and used the pencil to rip one of the seams.

"You think you're ready?"

"I made Maia, didn't I?" Her voice took on the edge Ed's got when challenged. He smiled again and stepped back.

Trisha's alchemy wasn't the blinding phosphorous light that Ed's was. This alchemy was faintly pink, and shimmered gently. It didn't crackle, but fizzed constantly. At the end of it at, in the middle of the array the once decimated shirt lay poorly mended, but mended none the less. He picked it up and picked at the seams. They held tight.

"This is really good," He smiled down to her, handing it back. Trisha took the shirt, beaming like it was Christmas.

"How long have you two been practicing," he asked, popping down onto the floor with Trisha. He gently hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her over, next to him. She giggled and shrugged.

"I dunno, a while. We got through one book. It was fun. It's like a puzzle, I think. Figuring out which line goes where, and what sigil does what. I like it a lot."

Al felt the irony in her statement, though the ignorance of it reflected in her red eyes. He pulled her fore head to his with a smile.

"That's wonderful," he approved gently. She pulled away from him and gently put her shirt back on the table she got it from. Al looked around the small room and sighed. With the cloths she'd be getting, she'd also need a room. A real one. There were dressers already furnishing the room, and a small day bed for guests. But they'd need to paint the room into a more girly color. They'd need to get her linens she liked to sleep in. And girly things for her room as well. He felt himself grow giddy at the thought of it. He kept seeing her red head bobbing up and down the aisles in the markets, picking out all manner of shiny and pretty things.

"I've never seen Roy so upset," Riza mused softly, arranging her desk as she finished a few things. Havoc, who was leaning back on two legs of his chair grunted in agreement.

"But it does make sense. They are perfectly legitimate fears," Feury piped i[ from behind a stack of papers." Breda also nodded.

"Normally he's pretty calm and collected, but Trisha really seemed to frazzle him."

"What do you expect, she's Isbalan. I wasn't surprised he had that reaction," Falman sighed.

All of that conversation reached the Major's ears as he neared the door. He knew enough about the Elric brother's back ground to know that their mother's name was Trisha. And now there was an Isballan woman in the mix named Trisha. He knew what he had to do. Obviously this woman had upset his friend, and it was up to him to set things right.

"Never fear, good people," he boomed as he threw the door open. The chaos that ensued was lost to him. He was fully dedicated to what he had to do.

"Your commanding officer and our beloved Roy may be in shambles now, but after I get done cheering him up, he won't have anything on his mind but happiness. This I solemnly swear to you."

"While a greatly appreciate your offer," Roy's voice came from his door, as calm and aloof as ever, "I do believe that this is something that I have to deal with. Hawkeye, I'll be taking the rest of the day off. I need to straighten some things out." Hawkeye didn't object, she simply nodded. This time he wasn't shirking duties, he was attending to more pressing matters.

Louis stood there, completely lost.

"Sir, I heard you were upset about an Isbalan woman. Might I offer my assistance?"

"She's a six year old Isbalan child Ed found and decided to adopt. It's nothing I can't handle, though if I need you, I'll call." Roy waved his farewells as he exited the room to begin home. Louis watched him go.

"Ed adopted? When did this happen?"

"He found Trisha in the east," Falman filled Louis in, "He brought her in when he came to give his reports. She didn't have a name prior to her visit, so Ed just named her after his mother."

"She's a sweet little thing," Fuery said with a grin.

"She'll need proper clothing," the forgotten Maes said from the door. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and grinned. "I can take her with the boys and Roy, and even bring Elysia! Oh, I'll bet they'll be great friends! They're both such sweethearts, they'll probably hit it off right away! No one can hate my darling baby anyway! Which reminds me – " The office was stuck. Between Louis and Maes, there was simply no escape.

Ed was just finishing up his mug of coffee when the door opened. He knew it was Roy, and he knew he was hurt. He sighed as he knew he would have to apologize, no matter how much his pride thrashed against it. It was a more unfortunate consequence of loving the man. His dealings with Ishbal gave him an acute need for closure. Ed closed his eyes and tried to come up with a dialogue for it.

It wasn't until hands landed on his shoulders that he dragged himself from his thoughts. He looked up from his coffee mug, bending his neck backwards to look up into navy eyes. He received an up-side-down kiss from the man before Roy wandered over to grab a glass of water. He wasn't distracted, just thinking. It was like He was at fault and needed to apologize to Ed.

There was silence between the two as small footsteps made their way into the kitchen. Ed turned to see Trisha toting a dingy shirt behind her. She reached up and climbed into Ed's lap before she began to speak.

"Look what I fixed," she announced with pride. Ed took the sleeve in his hands and eyed the seam. Comparing it with the other side, with was very rudimentary.

"Is Al teaching you how to sew," he asked seriously.

"No, silly," she giggled, "I fixed it myself! I used this!" From her other hand Ed took a small array. He handed it to Roy and looked at the child with pride.

"Al didn't help you?"

"Well, I needed help with some stuff, but mostly I did it by myself!" Ed glanced over to Roy who was studying the array quietly.

Roy had been on the verge of speaking before Trisha walked in. He easily pressed down the flashbacks to Ishbal, but it wasn't so easy to coax the worries away from his mind. Yes, she toddled in happily now, but will she be so happy tomorrow? Will she be alive tomorrow? Ed was already so in love with her, would he be able to take another blow like that? Would Al? She was already such an integral part of the infrastructure of his life that if something happened to her it would affect him deeply, if not directly, for he could not deny the need to hold her already.

The array broke his thoughts. The crudeness of the stiching may be attributed to the slightly wiggly lines, or her being so young, but truth was that this was a stunningly made array for someone of her age. He looked up at her and smiled. He grew with the same pride as Ed did.

"What kind of stuff did you need help with," he asked gently. Trisha looked at him oddly but then smiled. She hopped out of Ed arms and over to Roy, who picked her up as if it was second nature. She set the array down and traced some sigils with her finger.

"Al said I needed pillows or something, so he helped with those. I don't think I did. I would have been alright without them."

"Actually, everyone needs the cushions," he mused, hoisting her further into his knee to avoid her slipping off unintentionally, "it's like wearing a seatbelt in a car, or a helmet on a bike. Just when you don't think you'll need it you find that you really do." Trisha took his hand and peeled off his glove when he'd finished.

"Are these cushions too," she asked, pointing to the arrays.

"Some of them yes. Others control temperature, and others control intensity, and still others control the oxygen in the air." Trisha nodded, the childish winder gone as she studied the gloves further.

"The lizard means fire, right," She asked them both.

"That's right," Ed said, and Roy could hear the pride in his voice again. He looked up and he was beaming. It made him smile too. Maybe Hughes was right. Maybe this would be a little easier than he'd first thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Warnings: Roy and Ed fluff at various points in the fic, as well as a few spoilers from the anime.  
Summary: It was just supposed to be a routine recon in the east. But when Ed returns from Ishbal with a little girl, can the unorthodox family come together for the child, and even find those she belongs to?  
Rated: PG-13 for language and some suggestive scenes.

---

Trisha was the first awake that morning. She scrambled up the comforter that hung off the edge of the bed and planted herself firmly between her two fathers. Fir golden eyes opened and then navy. She beamed and clapped. "You promised me a surprise today!" Instead of annoyance, she was met with smiles, and yanked down between the two.

"Ed, is the sun even up." It was silent for a while before Ed shifted to look out the window.

"Barely," he gruffed sleepily. She giggled as she was firmly encased in two sets of arms. She had to wiggle into a comfortable position on her back so that her spine wasn't a question mark.

"Your present will come here later, Trisha. Just relax and sleep," Roy muttered, already halfway sleeping again. Trisha was still and quiet for a while before she sighed.

"You two are boring," she declared, getting up and sliding down to the floor. She knew Al would be awake. She heard chuckling in her wake.

It had been about a week and a half since she had come to live with the tiny family. Already she had fallen easily into her place among them. To Ed, she was a pupil. He taught her all he knew about alchemy and she absorbed it as naturally as air. To Al she was a baby to be pampered. Around him she didn't walk, he carried her. To Roy she was redemption. He lavished affection on her because of all of the bad things he'd done in his past.

"What are you doing up so early," Al asked with a smile in his voice. Trisha tugged on his pajama pants to signal her arrival at his feet. He picked her up and balanced her on his hip as he continued his work on the stove.

"What's that," Trisha asked as she reached for the heating element. Al slapped her hands away and she looked at him with shock.

"Don't touch that, you'll burn yourself."

"That doesn't mean you had to hit me," she muttered indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. Al laughed and kissed the side of her head.

"What is that," she repeated. This time she was answered.

"They're pancakes. Have I not made them for you before?" Trisha shook her head and he grunted in slight wonder.

"Do you have any… choh-coh-latte?"

"Chocolate? I'm sure Roy has some around here somewhere, why?"

"One of the cafés I used to steal from had chocolate chip pancakes. I used to smell them a lot, but I never got a chance to have any."

"Well, how about we fix that."

Trisha had expected such an answer. She had all three men wrapped contentedly around her fingers. But she still giggled and clapped her appreciation and clung to Al as he cooked.

Roy had long since looked past Trisha's race and saw the beautiful little girl she was. Now she was his baby girl. She was the daughter he would raise with Ed. She was the pillar of his world, and he'd do anything to see her smile, even if that meant hacking off a part of himself.

Now, however, his world centered around the darkness behind his eye lids and the contented feeling both he and the smaller male beside him rested in. They had been together for about a year now, and still sleeping in the same bed was just as good as making love.

He shifted gently under the weight of the metal leg, pinning his legs in place. Ed didn't stir once. He felt his breathing tickle his lips as he breathed, and feel the muscles in his arms work slightly as he dreamt. Carefully, he tightened his grip on him. Ed still didn't wake.

Having a child had turned his life into the most wonderful sort of chaos. Trisha was up with the sun and down with the moon, and every moment in between was filled with her voice, happily chatting about whatever popped into her mind first. She was so very much like Ed, never hiding how she felt, or what she wanted. But at the same time he saw himself reflected in her. She saw everything with objective eyes, turning situations over in her mind. He knew full well, as did the two brothers, that she held the strings. She worked them all with joy, in turn elating the three of them.

He was so lost in his musings that he didn't the the slightest of footsteps whispering in the darkness of the room. It wasn't until a weight on his leg alerted him to her presence that she looked blearily up at Trisha.

"You promised me a surprise today!" She sounded like she'd been up for a while. He sighed and buried his face in the crook of Ed's neck. At first irritation bit at his insides. That sanctity both of his room and his musings had been breached. Not only that, but the blissful peace between he and Ed had been broken. Then he registered who spoke, and all negative feelings washed away.

"Ed, is the sun even up," he asked, not sure if he even articulated correctly. There was heavy silence, and Roy knew he wished Trisha gone. Slowly he rose and peered at the window behind Roy.

"Barely," he sighed, flopping back down next to him. Roy reached up and brought Trisha between he and Ed, both holding her close and pinning her down.

"Your present will come later, Trisha. Just relax and sleep." He could feel the irritation in the way she laid. He smiled over her head at Ed, who grinned down at the top of her ruby head. He reached over and sleepily brushed a stray hair from his cheek, and was asleep again before his hand rested on Trisha's head.

"You two are boring." The words made Roy's nerves jump. He cracked open and eye to watch her go. He wanted to voice a goodbye, but he was just too tired. Instead he yanked Ed closer and sighed deeply.

"She gets up too early," Ed muttered into Roy's chest. He nodded in agreement and fell back asleep, Ed's metal leg curling around his.

"Where are we going, daddy," Elysia asked from the car seat. Maes only smiled and answered, "You'll see. Daddy has a surprise for you!" Squeals ensued from the back seat and he smiled gently to himself.

"Why are we going to Roy's house," she asked after an extended silence. He grinned brightly; his little girl was so perceptive.

"That's where your surprise is."

"Why is it at Roy's house?"

"That's where he's keeping it." Granted, he felt a little odd calling Trisha 'it' but he had to keep it a secret. Finally he pulled into the driveway of his house.

By the time Roy and Ed walked downstairs Trisha was covered in chocolate and she was bouncing off the walls. She was giggling and bouncing and talking a mile a minute. Al only smiled apologetically and tried to clean her face as it whipped from left to right. It was the doorbell that stopped her actions. They turned away for a second and just like whenever the doorbell rang before she was hiding.

As Ed and Al poked around for her he opened the door for his friend and his daughter. Of course Elysia immediately began inquiring about her present.

"Settle down, Ed and Al are looking," he chuckled as he pulled the little girl onto his lap.

"Why did you hide it?" Roy only laughed.

"Mine." Roy looked down at ruby eyes. Trisha yanked the child down from Roy's knee and placed both of her hands on both of Elysia's shoulders and repeated her mantra.

"Trisha, that's not nice," Roy scolded, taking her hands off the other child's shoulders. Trisha pushed him away and pulled Elysia's arm close to her, glaring at Roy.

"No, she's my present. She's mine." There was shocked silence. Elysia pushed away and stuck out her hip, pouting.

"I belong to my daddy, not you! Besides, you're my present." Trisha shook her head and seized her hands, repeating her mantra with confidence. Elysia took her hand back and denied the claim. Finally, Trisha grabbed Elysia's shoulders and embraced her.

"You're mine, okay," it wasn't a question. Elysia huffed and pushed Trisha away, going back to her father.

"I don't like my present." Maes couldn't speak because of his withheld laughter. He picked up his daughter while Trisha pouted from the floor. She reached out feebly for the other girl and whimpered when Roy picked her up.

"Mine," she whined, kicking and pulling away from the strong arms that held her in place.

"I'm sorry Maes, I don't think she understands things just yet."

"She's an orphan. She probably hasn't had any contact like this before," he chuckled as Elysia put him between her and Trisha. Trisha stopped and looked up at Maes with a questioning. Elysia was slightly shocked at the sudden ceasing of activity, and poked her head out from behind her father. Trisha pursed her lips curled up back into her father to think for a moment. She absently traced a button on his shirt before she looked up. She opened her mouth to speak, but did not. Roy kept watching her, expecting something that did not come.

Orphan, the word tumbled and twirled in Trisha's mind endlessly, its meaning lost to her. Her unrequited affections for the other little girl were now shoved to the backseat as confusion over took her. Orphan, what did that mean? Her father apologized for her behavior, was orphan a bad thing? But then Mr. Hughes said she hadn't had any contact. From lessons with her father, Ed, Trisha knew the basic meaning of that word. Did orphan mean the same thing as loner?

She tilted her head up to search Roy's eyes for an answer. He'd never had any trouble answering her questions in the past. But then again, she'd never asked about anything negative, not even about why he'd been so resentful of her at first. Would he tell her the truth? Trisha couldn't be sure it was bad, so she could be sure she'd get the true answer.

She looked back down at her knees and furrowed her brow until it hurt. Finally Trisha clicked her heels and muttered, "Orphan means bad. I'm bad, aren't I?" Why else would Roy apologize for her? She was most likely an untouchable, a pariah. She was probably putting her whole family in danger. New as it may be, she still loved them. Trisha had to get away, if only to save all she loved. She hopped down from Roy's knee.

"Orphan means bad. I'm bad, aren't I?" Roy stopped everything at the statement. He heard the words, but they didn't quite register. It wasn't until she slid off his knee that he snapped back to reality. He lunged, perhaps quicker than he should have, and grabbed desperately for the little girl. He tugged her back and hugged her tighter then he had been before and bestowed a million little kisses onto the crown of her head.

"No, no, no, never ever would we ever call you something that meant bad. An orphan is someone who has no parents. And you're not an orphan." His eyes snapped angrily at Maes, "She's not an orphan. She has parents. Parents who love her more than the world." He twisted to lean back on the couch back and hugged Trisha tighter.

The tone of her voice when she spoke those words broke Roy's heart into a thousand tiny pieces. He could live with Ed. It would be an empty, meaningless existence, but he could do it. Trisha had become so much a part of his life it would be like living without a lung, short and painful. He knew she was crushed under the weight of her assumptions. He knew she felt like she needed to get away. Roy would have none of that.

He felt her tiny fists ball up around fistfuls of his shirt and he kissed her head again. She didn't need to feel so broken, not ever again. He pulled her away and looked into wet, red eyes, wiping tears from under them. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "don't you ever assume something like that again. I'll never ever want you to leave. I can turn my back on the whole world so long as you are here, right where you belong, with me and Ed and Al. Do you understand?" Trisha nodded and cuffed her eyes with a small smile. Roy brought her back into a quick, tight hug and let her go.

"Why did you apologize for me then," she asked, walking over and picking up an alchemy book from the bookshelf along with a paper and pencil.

"Because you were being rude, darling," he smiled. Trisha pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

"She was my present," she huffed. Roy laughed and shook his head.

"No, your present is something else." He smiled brightly as Trisha's eyes widened and sparkled. She quickly flipped open the book to her dog-eared page and went on, "Well, what is it then?"

"I'm not telling you, we have to wait for Ed and Al to be finished getting ready, then we can go."

"So it's somewhere else," she observed, carefully outlining a beginners array. She looked up to see him nod and she hummed in thought.

"So it's a thing, and not a person, and it's somewhere else. That means it's also not a place, since you said it's some_thing_ else and not some_where_ else. You also said that we have to go somewhere to get it. All of that coupled with the fact that there have been complaints between the three of you about my clothing and the fact that you have all decided to take pains to have this day off leads me to believe that you are taking me clothes shopping." Roy watched in silence and fascination as Trisha deduced all of that by herself. His jaw dropped as she went on.

"However, that does not explain the presence of the little girl, unless she too is getting clothing as well." She looked up questioningly and locked eyes with Roy. He smirked and crossed his arms, positively swelling with pride.

"She certainly has the makings of a great alchemist," Maes said, referring to her observation and deducing skills. Roy nodded and beamed.

"She's being taught by Ed, actually."

"No better teacher anywhere is Amestris. Or the world, I'd wager."

Roy looked over to Trisha who had continued copying her array, acting like she hadn't just amazed two adult men.

Trisha had successfully completed her array by the time Ed and Al walked down the stairs. She hopped up and ran to Al who flung her up into her arms.

"I'm ready to go shopping," she squealed. Ed's head swung to Roy and glared. Roy only put his hands up with a grin and said, "She figured it out by herself."

"He told her that her present was somewhere else and she put various, seemingly unrelated pieces together to come to that conclusion." Roy would have defended himself, but Maes would have sold Roy out if it brought some amusement. He watched Trisha as she clung to Al's neck and glowed with pride.

"Well, maybe if the three of you weren't so painfully obvious," she huffed, thought she couldn't hide her smirk.

"You linked days off and complaints to the answer," Roy sighed.

"Now that you put it that way, it was fairly obvious," Maes conceded, Elysia on his heel as he stood and went for the door.

"Daddy, why do I need new clothes," Elysia asked.

"Because you're growing like a weed," he answered with a smile. Trisha puzzled at the phrase, wondering what it meant to be compared to a garden nuisance. She shrugged it off and was fastened into her car seat.

Trisha was almost put into shock from all of the people and the shopping mall. She curled into Al's shoulder and whimpered at the stares she got from people. Ed saw this and bristled next to Roy. The only reason, perhaps, that he wasn't being held in place, was that Roy was bristling right along with him. He looked up to a woman staring with a strange fascinating at the child. _His child_, something primal and angry hissed.

"You got something you wanna say," he spat. The woman squeaked a little and looked away.

"Brother, be nice."

"Trisha isn't an exhibit," Roy growled, shooting a glare at someone who passed by, staring at the child who let only one red eye scan the crowd.

"She's Ishbalan. It's a healthy curiosity. If we let people ask questions, they'll be satisfied and go away."

"No one is asking any questions," Ed screamed, drawing the attention of half the mall. Al rolled his eyes and hiked Trisha up further.

"Pardon me," a voice to Trisha's left murmured. Trisha quickly recoiled further into Al to hide from whoever was speaking. She heard him chuckle and answer her.

"That little girl… she's not from around here, is she?"

"Oh, what tipped you off," Ed hissed, grabbing Trisha to put as much space between her and the stranger as possible. She yelped a little at the sudden transfer, but easily settled back down and curled up in Ed's arms.

"Pardon my brother ma'am," Al spat at Ed, "But now, she's an orphan we took is from back east."

"Could I… see her for a moment?" Trisha looked up to consider his brother for a moment. Finally he sighed and spun her around, leaving her open for anything. Trisha cringed and tried to turn back around.

"Ah, daddy," she yelped as the woman reached out for her. Roy batted her hands away and took Trisha away from Ed, glaring at him.

"She's not an exhibit, Ed," he mocked, patting her ruby head gently as she sniffled. Ed only flipped him the bird. Luckily Trisha didn't see.

"Pardon me," the woman apologized, "I'm a grandmother you see, and I just can't resist little babies. My own is only three."

"Quite alright," Al assured her. She tottered off and addressed the two men.

"Oh, very well handled you two," he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Ed spun his head around and hissed, "I can't stand it! Alright, she's Isbalan, that doesn't make her a side show."

"No one said it does, Edward," Al spat right back, using Ed's full name, "But think about the last Isbalan out in the open in Central. There hasn't been one! These people have only heard about Isbalans in news and whispers. There's nothing wrong with wanting to see her."

"She screamed for us," Roy growled.

"And only then were you to react. Until that moment you should have allowed her to deal with her. How else will she learn the people skills she needs?" Ed considered his brother for a moment before he sighed.

"Give Trisha to me." Roy scoffed and shifted her to his other hip.

"Seriously Roy, give me the baby. She needs to walk on her own two feet."

Maes smirked from behind them. They were little, and they were broken. But they were a family, and they'd do just fine.


End file.
